Return bend fitting



May 24, 1932 H. c. STOCKHAM RETURN BEND FITTING Filed Dec. 4, 1930 INN I I Z x 1 v s r x 1 INVENTOR H6: Siaak/aazn g) ATTORNEYS Patented May 2 4, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HERBERT C. STOCKHAM, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR TO FRED Q FANTZ,

OF WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI anrurm Bimn FITTING Application filed December 4,1930. Serial No. 500,115.

This invention relates to return bends for tubular oil stills and the like and, among other objects, aims to providean improved return bend fitting or assembly of the type, wherein fittings or collars are secured to the ends of a pair of tubes and a yoke is mounted on said fittings to clamp the U-piece in place."

Further, the invention provides improved jloints between the ,U-piece and the collars.

he idea is to provide a strong, durable and relatively cheap fitting capable of withstanding high pressures and temperatures and the ordinary abuses to which such equipment is subjected.

Other aims and advantages of the invention will appear in the specification, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: p

Fig. 1 is a top plan View, partly broken away, showing one embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showlng the preferred form of fitting applied to a pair of tubes.

Referring particularly to the drawings, the illustrated form of fitting ll there shown is applied tothe ends of a pair of parallel tubes 10 such as .are used in tubular oil stills. In this example, the ends of the tubes are rolled into these annular collars or fittings 11 shown as havin counterbores 12 of the proper depth to provi e a good joint. K The outer end portions have smaller openings or bores 13 of about thes'ame diameter as the internal diam-'- eter of the tubes.

The collars or fittin s provide means for securing a unitary yokev or separable yoke pieceswith respect to the tubes. Herein, the outer walls of the collars are frusto-conical and present annular shoulders 14. They are adapted to' fit more or less loosely in correspondingly shaped shouldered sockets in yoke pieces 15 which are preferably, though not necessarily, integrally connected. The ar-- t rangement is such that-the yoke pieces may he slipped inwardly to disengage them-from the collars or fittings .or to permit'the tubes the fire.

cut OE and the pieces with their collars removed through opposite yokes without disturbing any other tube, thereby permitting the replacement of a singledamaged tubein a short time.

The yoke is here shown as having integral pairs of arcuate side walls '16 to the outer ends of which suitable toggles 17 carrying set screws 18 are removably secured. The particular design of the yoke walls and the type of toggles may be widely varied. They are used to clamp the U-piece or bend 19 against the outer faces of the collars or fittings 11 (Fig. 2).

To permit easy removal of the U-piece for the purpose of cleaning or reaming outthe tubes, the end' faces of the U-piece and the collars or flanges have tongue and groovejoints of such construction that they cannot stick or freeze together due to any adhering coke. In this example, the outer faces of the collars or fla-ngeshave annular tongues 20 concentric with the axes of the tubes and the ends of the U-piece have substantially V- shaped grooves 21 engaging the tongues. The construction'is suchas to permit adequate tightening adjustments without binding. In some instances, it may be desirable to reverse the arrangement of the tongues and grooves. However, the tongues can very easily. be machined on the collars in an automatic lathe. 1

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the improved'return bend can be manufactured at a relatively low cost. All of-the parts can easily. be applied to tubes by ordinary mechanics in the field. No special machine operations on the tubes are required. The tubes'can be adjusted by rotation independently of each other and a tube can be re laced without disturbing another, and without damaging a yoke or yoke piece as the case may be. Moreover, any tube collar which may be damaged by chi ping out the expanded end of a tube can replaced by a new one at very little expense and without any great loss of time. The im roved joints between the U- iece and the col ars can be kept tight after t ey are worn and will never stick due to coking.

Obviousl the present invention is not restricted to t e particular embodiment thereof herein shown and described. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly, since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.

What is claimed 1s: In a refinery apparatus, means for connectin a conventional return bend to a pair of' stil tubes, comprising afitting hav1n an opening corresponding to the external d1am eter of said tubes, the walls of said openingbeing provided with circumferential recesses adapted to receive the metal of the tubes when they are expanded therein, an inwardly extending flange at one end of said fitting forming an opening the same diameter as the internal diameter of said tubes, shoulders on the. outer surface of said fittings, a housing member having substantially ClIClllar openings therein, the Walls of which are adapted to interlock with the shoulders on said fittings, means forming a leak-proof joint between the face of the return bend and theend of said fitting, comprising a groove on one member and a rib on the other, and means carried by said housings for holding said fittings and said return bend in assembled relation to form a gas-tight joint.

In testimony, that'I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature.

HERBERT C. STOGKHAM. 

